Mobitz hosigmanisr



(No Model.)

M. HONIGMANN.

FIRELESS STEAM ENGINE.

No. 337,062. Patented Mar. 2, 1886:.

Kwanz a Jada 7/0772 assas.

S NM J NITEjD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORITZ HONIGMANN, OF AIX-LA-OHAPELLE, GERMANY.

IFIRELESS STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,062, dated March 2, 1886. Application filed July 24, 1885. Serial No. 172,523. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORITZ HONIGMANN, of Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fireless Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the fireless working of steam-engines by meansof soda-lye or other liquids havinga high boiling-point. I

The invention consists in certain means, hereinafter described and claimed,for preventing the soda-lye or other heat-absorbing liquid from being drawn from the boiler in which it is contained into the engine; also, in a certain combination, hereinafter described and claimed, for providing for the transference of the diluted soda-lye or other heat-absorbing liquid to a vessel in which it is to be reconcentrated by evaporation; also, in a certain combination, hereinafter described and claimed, for the reconcentration of the soda lye or heat-absorbing liquid; and it further consists in the novel combination, hereinafter described and claimed, of a fireless steam-engine and a lyeconcentrating apparatus and condenser.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which represents its application to a locomotive-engine, all the apparatus except the engine being stationary, and the engine being simply connected with the other apparatus by means of two pipes, which are only connected for the purpose of discharging the diluted heat-absorbing liquid from the boiler and refilling the boiler with concentrated liquid.

Referring to the accompanying drawing: 5

(a) The pipe k, which conducts the exhauststeam into the soda-lye is to be carried up to a point at least half a meter higherxthan the highest level of the soda-lye. (b) A self-acting valve, R, is placed in a pipe connecting the dome over the soda-lye with the highest point of the exhaust-pipe in such manner that the valve will open as soon as the pressure in the exhaust-pipe falls below that in the vessel containing the soda-lye, so as to draw the vapors and gases from said vessel, instead of the soda-lye. It would not answer to connect such a Valve with the outer atmosphere, as the pressure in the soda-boiler might happen to be greater than that of the atmosphere.

The exhaust-steam is introduced into the soda-lye by means of perforated vertical or oblique branch pipes'v, leading down from a horizontal one at the upper part of the soda-lye vessel in order to avoid the vibrations or shocks caused by the presence of cold water in the perforated horizontal pipe near the bottom of the soda-boiler as heretofore used.

A steam-trap, A, is represented as connected with the exhaust-pipe to permit the water contained in the steam to escape. This arrangement can also be used as a means of drawing off a part of the exhaust-steam, instead of leading the whole of it into the concentrated soda-lye, the result of which is too great an elevation of temperature and pressure, necessitating the addition'of cold water. By drawing off the condensed water and a part of the exhaust-steam an economy of ten to fifteen percent. can be obtained.

The forcing out of the diluted or spent sodalye .from the soda-boiler of the steam-engine through the pipe F into the conccntrating-vessel N can be effected by the pressure of the soda steam-boiler itself, as toward the end of the process, when the lye has become sufficiently diluted there is an excess of pressure in the soda-lye. A further economy in the working of the apparatus is thus effected.

The soda steam-boiler may be made of Wrought or cast iron, and the tubes and other parts of copper or brass.

I propose to employ in the exhaust-pipe of the engine a valve which is connected with the throttle-valve in the steam-pipe in such manner that the two valves will be opened and closed together, and that therefore the cylinder of the engine will be cutoff from the soda-vessel when the engine is working without pressure.-

Instead of effecting the concentration of the diluted liquids by the direct action of fire, I use a steam-boiler, D, whence-steam under pressure is conducted through coils of pipe S, immersed in the soda-lye to be concentrated in the concentrating-vessel N, the steam becoming condensed during the concentration of the soda-lye and the condensed water returned to the steam-boiler through a pipe, L

, the soda-lye by indirect heat, as last described,

is used for the concentration of a further quantity of diluted soda-lye. This is effected by conducting the steam generated in the vessel N by apipe, L through another coil of pipes, S, immersed in diluted soda-lye in a vessel, N. Considerable economy of fuel is thus obtained. In this vessel a constant vacuum of about onetenth of an atmosphere is maintained by means of a pump, 1?, drawing water and gases out of a condenser, 0, through pipe H. The condenser is constructed in such manner that the vapor coming through pipe L must, on entering the condenser, pass through water about ten centimeters deep, whereby the vapors be come entirely absorbed. In consequence of the vacuum in the condenser the cold water necessary for the condensation is drawn into the condenser through pipe :0.

The condenser and the pump are connected by the pipe H in such manner that the water entering the pump will fill up all dead spaces. In consequence of this and of the total ab sorption of the vapors the pump works very economically.

The exhaust-steam from the vacuumpump economy in fuel of forty to forty-five per cent.

is obtained, as the steam generated in the first soda-concentrator is used for concentrating the lye in the second one, which, inconsequence of the vacuum, has a boilingpoint lower than 100 centigrade. There the steam is condensed in the coil S, and the condensed water runs into the vessel W, situated between the upper and lower soda-concentrating vessels, and is used for the feeding of the sodaboiler.

v The pipe-L, which conveys the water and nncondensed vapors into the vessel W, can be connected to the latter a few meters under the surface of the water, whereby a backpressure up to six-tenths of an atmosphere is,

obtained in the coil S and in theconcentrator N, in consequence of which the tempera ture-of the steam in the coil S is from 105 to 115 centigrade. The water-vessel Wis open to the atmosphere by means of a pipe, L

The whole arrangement of the apparatus described is most advantageous, as it is made of one cylinder. The lower part can be made of cast-iron, which resists the action of the soda-lye. The middle W and upper part,

'N, are made of wrought-iron, which effectually resists the action of the soda-l ye, owing to its low temperature in vacuo.

The vessel N is placed at such a height that the pump cannot draw off the soda-lye, which flows into the lower vessel by gravity through pipe U and cook h. The filling of the soda steam-boiler withconcentrated sodalye is eifected through pipe E and cook h.

During the concentration of the soda-lye it is necessary to provide means to prevent theescaping vapors carrying off any soda-lye with them. For this purpose I use baflle-plates B and B, which arrest the soda-lye mingled with the vapor.

In consequence of the action of metals on soda, it is desirable not to concentrate the soda by the direct action of fire, but with the steam from a common steam-boiler. The concentrating-vessel can be made of cast-iron and the coils of pipe of copper.

Wrought-iron vessels can be lined with thin plates of 7 copper, whereby the iron is protected from being attacked by the soda; but iron coated with copper by electro deposition cannot be used.

Having now particularly described and asand the vessel containing the lye, into which the steam from the'engine is to be exhausted,

of an exhaust-pipe, a portion of which is elevated considerably above the highest level of the lye in said vessel, a communication between said pipe and, the upper part of the said vessel, and a valve in said communication,

which opens when the pressure in said vessel is above that in the exhaust-pipe, but is closed when the pressure is greater in the exhaustpipe, substantially as and for the the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the lye-vessel and a concentrator for theconcentration of the dilutedlye, of a simple pipe-connection, through which the diluted lye may be forced from the said vessel to be concentrated by the pressure within said vessel.

3. The combination, with the lye-concentrator for a fireless steam-engine, of a steamboiler anda coil of pipe arranged within the concentrator, and having one end connected with the steam-space and the other with the water-space of said boiler, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination with a fireless steamengine, of a concentrating and condensing apparatus, consisting of an upright cylinder having three chambers, the upper and lower of which are lyeconcentrating vessels and the interposedone is a receiver for condensed water, a steam-boiler, a steam circulating coil within the lower concentrating vessel having both ends connected with the boiler,- and a In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name steam-circulating coil within the upper eonto this specification in the presence of two subcentrating-vessel having one end in eommuniscribing witnesses.

cation with the lower concentrating-vessel and MORITZ HONLGMANN. 5 the other end in communication with the inter- Witnesses: I

posed receiver, substantially as and for the PETER HEEKMANNS',

purpose herein described. GE. v. LINOLO.- 

